


Nightmare

by taylor_tut



Category: Good Omens (TV)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Angst, I hate this fic, Nightmares, but I post everything I write so, take it I guess
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-06
Updated: 2019-07-06
Packaged: 2020-06-22 07:36:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 648
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19662772
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/taylor_tut/pseuds/taylor_tut
Summary: A drabble request from my tumblr for Crowley having a nightmare and Aziraphale comforting him.





	Nightmare

Although it hadn't hurt him in the same way it would have Aziraphale and he was grateful that their swap had saved his life, Crowley still dreamt of fire. 

For a demon, that usually wasn't such a bad dream—it could range from benign to provocative, depending on the content. However, ever since the bookstore fire, Crowley looked at the hellflames much less fondly these days than he had before. It wasn't the fire itself it was afraid of, but the memories of the hours that he spent thinking that Aziraphale was gone for good. 

He loved sleeping so much that even despite the lack of biological need to do it, Crowley could fall asleep anywhere. Just like an old mortal man, he tended to fall asleep if he sat in front of a boring television program for too long, or if he was at his desk staring at paperwork for a few hours, or if he snuggled up on the couch next to Aziraphale as he read a book silently at night. 

Crowley had tracked down a rare edition of a Bible for Aziraphale and he'd been practically glowing all day because of it. It had been a lot of trouble, too, trying to buy the book without touching it and transporting it back to the shop and tossing it onto one of Aziraphale's tables like it had always been there without making a deal of it. Aziraphale, of course, had indeed made a deal of it. He'd gotten teary-eyed and hugged him and made tea for the both of them to drink while he eagerly leafed through it. 

That was what brought Crowley to now, where he lay on the couch, his head in Aziraphale's lap. Aziraphale was resting the Bible on the arm of the couch, bracing the book with one hand and taking turns turning pages and stroking Crowley's hair with the other. 

"Are you having trouble sleeping?"

Crowley blinked a few times. He'd been intentionally fighting the pull of sleep, but since Aziraphale didn't sleep, he'd hoped that perhaps he wouldn't notice. Of course, he was wrong. 

"I'm fine right here," he dodged. Aziraphale didn't press the matter further, continuing to pet his hair until Crowley's eyelids became heavy and he finally succumbed to sleep. 

Half an hour later, he sat up with a frantic gasp, his eyes flying wide open. He clutched his chest as he tried to catch his breath, feeling his heart thudding rapidly against his hand. 

"Crowley?" Aziraphale called worriedly. Crowley shook his head, shoving Aziraphale's hands off when he tried to grip his forearms. 

"Don't," he muttered, and Aziraphale nodded.

"Alright; okay. It's okay. You're alright." Crowley calmed after a moment. His breathing evened out and he became more alert, allowing Aziraphale to touch him, rubbing his back comfortingly. 

"Did you have a nightmare?" he asked, and Crowley rolled his eyes. "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."

"It's nothing," Crowley deflected. "Just a... little side effect from the bookshop incident."

Aziraphale looked puzzled. "The bookshop... You don't mean... Shadwell?" Crowley looked pointedly away. "You've been having nightmares about the fire?"

Crowley nodded. "A bit, yeah," he admitted. 

"Oh, Crowley," he fretted sympathetically. "I'm sorry." 

"Nothing to be sorry about."

A long pause, comfortable an unexpectant. 

"You know it's over now, don't you?" he asked finally. "The apocalypse is over. We're safe, or as safe as we can be." 

"I know that." 

"I know you do," he replied. "I just thought it might be nice to hear it."

Crowley nodded and relaxed nearly imperceptably. 

"Would you like me to make some tea?" 

Crowley shook his head. "I'd like it more if you stayed." 

Aziraphale allowed Crowley to lie back down in his lap and went back to reading, keeping an eye out while Crowley once more drifted off to sleep, this time soundly. 


End file.
